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Shadowrun 5th edition enchanting questions

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Angado

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« on: <11-06-16/1533:04> »
I had played extensively from 1st through 3rd editions, and have now been playing 5th edition.
I have not been able to locate information in the 5th edition concerning how radical reagents are utilized in enchanting operations.

In 3rd edition, radicals and orichalcum were of use in reducing target numbers for enchanting and for reducing karma costs.
Now in 5th, I don't see any use beyond the mention of those materials being needed in some advanced alchemy operations.

So what use, if any, can radicals and orichalcum be put to?


Presently I am preparing to have my character create a power focus and if there is any benefit to using radicals and or orichalcum I would like to know.

Thank you all
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Reaver

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« Reply #1 on: <11-06-16/1717:23> »
In short?

None.

The rules for enchanting in 5e are covered on pages 306-307 of the CRB under Artificing. And on 222 to 231 of Sreet Grimoire (although the SG rules are rather text related and mostly to do with reagents, and their harvesting)

Orichalcum is basically only used a base "weight" in determining the potency of other reagents. (called Drams now). (see page 316 CRB)....

All you have to do is spend a certain number of reagents, determined by the power and type of foci you are creating. There really is no more radical reagents or mystical goods that help lower target numbers (since there are no more target numbers as there was in 3e... everything is now "5"....)

Which IMO, the devs kind of dropped the ball here, as this was a really interesting facet of enchanting from editions 1-3 that I had hoped they would bring back (considering it got thrown out in 4e), but they didn't :(

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Moonshine Fox

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« Reply #2 on: <11-06-16/2228:57> »
There was a write up done by they guy who did the enchanting section on the bonuses for higher forms of reagents, but it got cut due to space issues. http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=18614.msg329855#msg329855 is where you can find it. Use as is or as a base and write up your own set of house rules for how they'll work at your table!

Reaver

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« Reply #3 on: <11-07-16/0936:22> »
Thanks Fox, I wasn't aware of that info from the writer, and it makes sense given how high some O.R. are when making weapon foci.

Shame it got cut from the book.
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Remember: You can't fix Stupid. But you can beat on it with a 2x4 until it smartens up! Or dies.

Moonshine Fox

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« Reply #4 on: <11-07-16/1411:20> »
I was pretty happy when I first found that. Fleshed it out even more though for my own table, that way all aspects of magic use can benefit from it, and give orichalcum just a little bit more umph. Thankfully none of my Awakened players have tried to abuse them and force me to smack 'em back  ;D

Rosa

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« Reply #5 on: <11-08-16/0349:50> »
Yeah thanks a lot Fox, i've been cursing about this omission a lot.

Question: When you fleshed the rules out for your table, did you add rules for using virgin telesma, hand-made telesma...etc. as there were in previous editions?

Moonshine Fox

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« Reply #6 on: <11-08-16/0950:07> »
I never fully put anything down in writing as my group never got into artificing, but I would probably have made it reduce object resistance or give some bonus dice on the creation roll or something. I'd have to look more into it to make it balanced, especially since I'm not as fond of the focus creation rules as written. To much investment for too little and often unknown return.

Angado

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« Reply #7 on: <11-11-16/0706:50> »
Thank you for the data    :)

Looks like my group and I will have some analysis to do on if we should incorporate these or not. 
Personally I like the ability to use resources like this for game effect, so I'm hoping to see these or something similiar in our game.

Have a good one folks
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Fast Freddy

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« Reply #8 on: <03-04-19/0905:31> »
I ran a PBEM campaign setting up a private company to train alchemists - taking the raw recruits through collection and refining through to orichalcum and creating their own focii as their final proof. 

raw material gathering and creating radicals is hard - it (was) the final stages of creating orichalcum and focii that made the cash..  they made one for me and one for themselves as indentured apprentice for a year and a day.  It took that long starting from scratch to gather refine etc to end up with a L1 focus

It was an exercise in how artificing worked - my view is magical stuff takes so long to create that a mage/ alchemist would not sell it.  A talismonger would have to be an organic farmer to make any money

The mage is not there to become a magical merchant anyway - that is where a plotline should come in.  Use your contacts who may need help from time to time 

Overbyte

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« Reply #9 on: <03-04-19/2330:44> »
There was a write up done by they guy who did the enchanting section on the bonuses for higher forms of reagents, but it got cut due to space issues. http://forums.shadowruntabletop.com/index.php?topic=18614.msg329855#msg329855 is where you can find it. Use as is or as a base and write up your own set of house rules for how they'll work at your table!

Most of that ended up in Forbidden Arcana (p. 188) except for the last bit about orichalcum use, Bone reagent and max reagents maybe.

I'm actually about to use a dram of orichalcum as the MacGuffin for an upcoming "run".
An NPC (former PC) Rat Shaman has been gathering reagents for months, refining them into orichalcum and now he wants to sell it. But putting out feelers that you have oricalchum for sale attracts a lot of attention from all sorts of magical types, some of which will do anything to get their hands on it.. including a blood mage who wants to use it to bind a Greater Blood Spirit.
Nothing is foolproof. Fools are so ingenious.

Michael Chandra

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« Reply #10 on: <03-05-19/0052:56> »
Yikes. That's indeed a good way to draw attention. My brother made a unit of Orichalcum to bribe a Force 20 Spirit to please not edge against the oversummoning. Then he played Thor inside a Bug Hive. Lightning Aura Force 20...

And yeah, the special uses ended up in Forbidden Arcana with some tweaks, and they rock. iirc, FA also changes the whole 'spend 10 reagents to go to limit 10 as Force 6, or spend 6 to cap a Force 10 to 6 hits', instead allowing you to either set or boost the limit. (So it's 4 reagents to go from Force 6 to Limit 10). In return, reagents are capped in quantity, so you're encouraged to use a higher quality when it really matters.
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